Flora
Printing Apprentice
- Joined
- May 6, 2011
- Messages
- 1
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 12
Like many of you, my black stopped printing. After much time spent searching for an answer, I found and joined this forum. To make a long story shorter, I found Trigger 37's many posts and emailed him for his recommendation on cleaning the print heads and purge tank, and testing them. I didn't get as far as taking the whole printer apart to clean it, but did manage to complete his instructions, and now my printer is printing good as new. In following his instructions, I removed and sealed the carts, then unplugged the printer. I raised the lockbar and removed the printhead. I ran very warm water over the printhead until it ran clear and no colors showed on the filter pads, then soaked it overnight in Windex, just covering the individual filter pads. I may have made a mistake in doing this part, although no harm came to the print head. The next morning, I rinsed the printhead thoroughly and dried with my hairdryer. I also cleaned the contacts on the back of the printhead and back of the printer carriage arm with Isopropryl Alcohol using a Q-tip, taking care not to leave any strands of cotton. Then I accessed the 2 pads where the printhead parks...to the very right of the carriage. These are visible with a flashlight or a strong light, but hard to get to. Using a syringe, I dropped warm water onto the pads to see if it went through...it did. Then I added more water and blotted the pads with paper towels until the pads started to turn white. I reinstalled the carts, and closed the lid, forcing a cleaning cycle. Open and remove the carts to see if any color is on the filter pads. There should be. Then, remove carts and printhead again. On a very damp folded paper towel, blot the bottom of the printhead to the towel...you should see all the colors for all the carts you have. This means the purge unit is working. At this point, I put my carts back in and printed a nozzel check page, and VIOLA...it works. THANK YOU, TRIGGER 37! There are further instructions as to what to do if the purge unit isn't working, but I didn't need to go that far. 
To get the instructions, email Trigger 37.
To get the instructions, email Trigger 37.
